Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to acquire Bologna and Italy centre-back Riccardo Calafiori. According to football.london, the defender has emerged as the priority signing at this stage of the summer season.
Calafiori’s value improved following his efforts with Bologna last season, which helped them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in club history. He extended his form into the European Championships with Italy, and he is one of the tournament’s stars who has been linked with a lucrative move.
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A figure of roughly £40 million has been floated in recent weeks, but a stipulation in his contract states that the defender’s old club, Basel, will get 40% of any prospective sale, suggesting Bologna may expect more.
Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are looking to add depth to their defensive roster, and Calafiori fits the bill. The 22-year-old can play at both centre-back and full-back, making him a flexible option for Arsenal.
However, Arsenal has been cautioned that signing Calafiori could cause problems. When he was 16, he was playing for AS Roma’s youth team and was faced with a difficult competition from Viktoria Plzen. The injury sidelined him for 347 days before he returned to duty in the 2019/20 season.
Since then, the defender has had a variety of injuries, including a hamstring issue that sidelined him for six months in 2021. According to Transfermarkt, he has missed almost 560 days of action and more than 150 games.
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